Ohio man attempted to burn down church that hosted drag queen story hour: FBI
The Community Church of Chesterland (UCC) said they forgive the suspect, Aimenn D. Penny, but want him prosecuted
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A 20-year-old Ohio man was taken into custody last week for allegedly attempting to firebomb a church with Molotov cocktails to prevent a drag queen story hour for children.
Aimenn D. Penny was arrested last Friday and charged with one count of possessing a destructive device and one count of malicious use of explosive materials during his attack on the Community Church of Chesterland (UCC) in Chesterland, Ohio, on March 25, according to a press release from the Department of Justice.
"Violence and destruction are never an acceptable way to express a disagreement with a particular viewpoint," First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler for the Northern District of Ohio said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"While, as Americans, we enjoy the right to disagree, doing so peacefully is the only appropriate option. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio remains committed to protecting the rights of all citizens to express their viewpoints peacefully," she added.
Drag queen "Pickle" reads from a book during the Drag Queen Story Hour program at the West Valley Regional Branch Library on July 26, 2019, in Los Angeles. (David McNew/Getty Images)
Special Agent in Charge Gregory Nelsen of the FBI Cleveland Field Office said Penny's arrest was made possible through a collaborative effort between the FBI Cleveland Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Chester Township Police Department.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The FBI leveraged its task force and its specialized resources to identify, locate and subsequently arrest the subject earlier today," Nelsen said. "We thank the collaborative work and strong partnership of the Chester Township Police and Lake and Geauga County local authorities who assisted."
Penny faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison for the malicious use of explosive materials charge, with as many as 10 years in prison for possessing a destructive device charge if he is convicted, according to the DOJ.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Signs in front Community Church of Chesterfield (UCC) adorned with rainbow LGBT flags. (Google Maps)
"While we are sorry this happened and forgive the individual in question, we would like to see him prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law as a way to send a message to other [like-minded] people and groups that violence as a form of coercion to advance any kind of agenda is unacceptable in 2023," Community Church of Chesterland, which is a member of the theologically liberal United Church of Christ (UCC), wrote on Facebook following the DOJ announcement.
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In another Facebook post, the church also thanked law enforcement for protecting the drag event that took place at the church Saturday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"A huge THANK YOU is due to the Chardon and Chester Police Departments, as well as the Geauga County Sheriff's office for their incredible and overwhelming support and protection of the local citizens attending the Drag Story Hour at the church today," the church wrote.
Drag queens Athena Kills, middle, and Scalene Onixxx arrive to awaiting adults and children for Drag Queen Story Hour at Cellar Door Books in Riverside, California, on June 22, 2019. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP via Getty Images)
"The number of cruisers we hear were present, the 'swat-style' vans, the Chagrin Falls' tactical mobile unit' which we were told was parked nearby ... this overwhelming presence would have put caution in the mind of any group hoping to make an opportunistic threat," the church stated.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}During the event itself, one protester showed up dressed in black wearing a black mask and sat along the side of the street quietly, according to Cleveland.com.